More than two-thirds of respondents in an opinion poll conducted recently by TRENDS Research & Advisory trust the Emirati Covid-19 vaccine. The survey, conducted by the TRENDS Global Barometer Department, had a random sample of respondents (491 persons) belonging to different nationalities, age groups, and education levels.

Most respondents were Arabs with a 73 percent ratio, followed by other foreign nationalities, mainly British and American. A majority of respondents, 34 percent, belonged to the 30-39 age category, followed by the 40-49 years age group (31 percent.) The lowest share of participation was from the 18-29 age group.

The survey findings suggest that a majority of participants have confidence in the forthcoming vaccine against Covid-19. Half of the respondents emphasized the need for the vaccine to be approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure its safety and effectiveness before it is made available for use. More than one-third of respondents expected that the vaccine would be ready before the end of 2020.

Faisal Abdullah Al-Naqbi, the Director of the Global Barometer Department, said that the poll’s objective was to recognize the level of public awareness about the vaccine. The Department also sought to learn more about the most favored vaccine against Covid-19.

Faisal Al-Naqbi said that the trust shown by respondents on the Emirati vaccine is due to the clinical experiments' positive indicators in the third stage of its development process, which has not resulted in any negative side-effects. He said that the WHO estimates that about 165 vaccines are being developed.

Among these, 31 vaccines have entered the clinical experiments stage. Hence, it is necessary to understand public opinion on these vaccines and their perception of producing them safely and securely.

TRENDS Research & Advisory also conducted an opinion poll in August, in collaboration with the National Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Management Authority(NCEMA) to understand the UAE’s perception about the Covid-19 crisis management. The poll analyzed the pandemic’s social and economic impact on the UAE and sought opinion on the authorities’ measures to confront the pandemic.